21 September ICC leads state in full-time enrollment increase September 21, 2023 By Thomas, Donna S. Career Center, General 0 Itawamba Community College ranks first in the state in full-time enrollment increase and in the top three in overall enrollment increase, according to figures recently released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With fall enrollment at 5,034 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from fall 22 to fall 23 show an 8.5 percent increase. The increase can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen, including the addition of Magnolia Hall, a state-of-the-art residence for honors students and student leaders accommodating 246 additional students which opened last fall and an enhanced emphasis on activities. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” “Statistics show that the more students are engaged, the more successful they will be in the classroom,” according to ICC Vice President of Student Services Dr. Brad Boggs. “Having an attractive, comprehensive student activities program plays a major role in attracting students to attend ICC and subsequently an opportunity to retain students once they enroll.” The renewed emphasis on student activities includes opportunities for both traditional age students as well as adult learners at all three locations – Fulton, Tupelo and Belden – based on listening to ICC’s students and staff and providing programs/events that are of interest to all. In addition, Itawamba Community College has transitioned to a Schools of approach to group like majors into a cohort to enable students to connect better with their selected field of study as well as with those in the same area, such as academic transfer and career education. In comparison to all other higher education options in the state, both public and private, ICC has the second lowest cost of tuition and cost of tuition and fees combined. While the updated enrollment figures include online, academic and career education classes, it does not include workforce totals, which are not measured on a semester basis, Allen said. “Because of the dedication of ICC’s faculty and staff, our Board of Trustees and external funding support, we continue to provide an affordable and quality option, which has been documented in the naming of ICC as a top 25 semifinalist for the prestigious 2023 Aspen Prize,” Allen said. “In addition, the work of our recruiters, enrollment services and community relations team has contributed to this increase in enrollment.” Allen also noted that data from the Institutions of Higher Learning shows that ICC produces graduates that when they attend any of the state’s eight universities, they generate the second highest number of bachelor’s degrees by transfer students. They also graduate with a higher GPA than the student who started at the university. “We are always excited to hear that more students have chosen to become a member of the ICC family,” said Michael Holloway, director of recruitment and orientation. “I truly believe that ICC provides the best instruction in academic transfer, career education and health sciences programs. We pride ourselves on having something for everyone. The many resources available to students at the Fulton, Tupelo and Belden locations enhance the overall student experience and help ICC students achieve success. From the first time a student arrives to an ICC location or starts one of our fully-online programs to the day they complete their degree or certification, ICC provides wraparound services throughout the entire process.” Related Articles ICC ranks among state leaders in full-time enrollment increase Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment increase, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. With spring enrollment at 4,774 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from spring 2024-spring 2025 show a 6.7 percent increase, which comes after a multi-year increase in both fall and spring enrollments. The continuing increase over the last two reporting periods can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include additional housing opportunities tailored to student needs, including the addition of Magnolia Hall, exclusively for student leaders, and reopening of both Sheffield and Monroe Halls with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today as well as an enhanced emphasis on activities.” “This very exciting news demonstrates a collaborative effort between all areas of the college to allow for continued enrollment growth,” Allen said. “What the figures don’t show is that residence halls remain at a more than 95 percent capacity this spring. The increase in the number of students that ... ICC enrollment increases again - continues to rank among state's leaders Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment increase, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. With fall enrollment at 4,476 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from fall 2023-fall 2024 show a 4.1 percent increase, nearly double the state average. In addition, enrollment was up 7 percent the last two semesters, statistics show. The continuing increase over the last two reporting periods can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include the addition of significant housing opportunities tailored to student needs with the opening of Magnolia Hall last fall and the reopening of Sheffield and Monroe Halls with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today at the beginning of this semester, and an enhanced emphasis on activities. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start ... ICC's enrollment increases this fall Itawamba Community College’s fall enrollment has increased even during turbulent economic times, according to figures released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With full-time enrollment beginning at more than 4,700 and an increase in credit hours, the increase equates to 1.3 percent. The increase is determined by comparing enrollments for the 2021 and 2022 fall semesters. In August, ICC opened Magnolia Hall, a state-of-the-art residence for honors students and student leaders at the Fulton Campus, which accommodates 246 additional students, and an increased emphasis has been placed on student activities, said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “This is very exciting news, since the increases are in headcount, full-time equivalencies and credit hours and places us on an upward trend to pre-pandemic enrollment,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” “Statistics show that the more students are engaged on campus, the more successful they will be in the ... ICC fall semester enrollment increases Itawamba Community College’s fall enrollment has increased even in the unique environment caused by COVID-19. With full-time enrollment beginning at more than 5,000 and an increase in credit hours, ICC also has 705 students who are participating in the dual credit program, which enables high school students to earn college hours. The increase is determined by comparing enrollments for the 2019 and 2020 fall semesters. “This is very exciting news, since the increases are in headcount, full-time equivalencies and credit hours,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” Enrollment figures include online, academic and career education classes, but not workforce totals, which are not measured on semester basis, Allen said. Because of COVID-19, ICC has altered its instructional delivery methods, which now include face-to-face only, face-to-face hybrid which has an online component, face-to-face Zoom and online. “We are ... ICC among state community college enrollment leaders for spring 2024 Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment for the 2024 spring semester, according to figures recently released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With spring enrollment at 4,476 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from spring ‘23 to spring ‘24 show a 7 percent increase in headcount and a 9.7 percent increase in FTE with a second-place ranking. However, ICC had the largest percentage increase than any other community college in the state when reviewing combined FTE increases for fall ’23 and spring ‘24. The increase can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen, including the addition of state-of-the-art Magnolia Hall for honors students and student leaders, an enhanced emphasis on activities, expanded free personal orientation sessions and the transition to the schools of approach to enable student connections both to their field of study and their peers. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to ... Community college faculty renew plea for funding, salary increases JACKSON – Mississippi has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the United States, yet the 15 community colleges, which are ideally positioned to offer the programs that impact the state’s job growth, continue to be chronically underfunded. Mississippi has more than 40,000 job openings but the majority of those jobs require some education and training beyond high school, but not a bachelor's degree. Community college career and technical programs are demand-driven educational programs tailored in each community to meet local needs. The Mississippi Faculty Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MFACJC) wants to make sure legislators and communities understand how beneficial the community college system is to our state, said MFACJC President Mary Warren, who teaches at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. However, to make good on the promises of those benefits of a quality education, educational resources need to improve. That includes salary increases for faculty who have not had a state-funded raise since 2008, she said. “I can truly appreciate all the work our legislators do to make Mississippi a better place to live, but I think it’s time we fund ... Comments are closed.